Marine Biology and Education

In recent years, there has been much concern about the conservation of biodiversity and natural environments on the planet, especially the ocean area. Considering that nearly 71 percent of planet Earth’s surface is covered by water, and that these include an amazingly varied range of ecosystems and species (about 2.2 million species inhabiting ocean waters), the job prospects for marine biologists is, to say the least, extensive. Professionals who graduate from a marine biology career will most likely have an integrated view of the dynamics of the immensely diverse marine ecosystems, with emphasis on biological conservation and sustainable use of renewable marine resources.

Through their education, marine biologists acquire a solid scientific training that will allow them to work in many different fields of marine investigation. Similarly, the international educational model and curricula will provide them with tools that will allow them to have a broader view of the problems our society is facing, and how to address them. They will also be able to perform and be more connected with the realities of the sectors of artisanal and industrial fishing. Thus, the presence of professionals such as marine biologists in the field of fisheries and policy management is of paramount importance.

A marine biologist has the knowledge to formulate, develop and manage basic and applied scientific research in the field of biology, a topic of growing interest in today’s society, such as aquatic biotechnology, genetics, ecology and marine biodiversity among others. Marine biologists are able to integrate and lead multidisciplinary teams that are able to develop proposals associated with the conservation of marine species and marine biodiversity such as fish, birds and marine mammals.

Marine Biologists are also able to assess population and propose levels of sustainable use of marine resources. In this way, they can integrate multidisciplinary teams and contribute to their biological knowledge, diagnose impacts on ecosystems and propose measures for the conservation of the marine environment.